The Old Man and the Sea

This book is something that I thought was very special because it’s an
eye-opener to many other readers to explore many new genres like
myself. The Old Man and The Sea is a literary fiction based book and
it’s about an old man who is a well experienced fisherman and his
incredible streak of not catching a fish for a long 84 days. However as
the old man is determined to redeem himself from this unluckiness,
he decides to go out once more with a younger less-experienced
fisherman and their journey is very compelling and intense as it all
affects his destiny and that ultimately affects the rest of his life…
Overall, I love this book and I highly recommend it to any reader
because of its brilliant storyline and the amazing way the poet Ernest
Hemingway made an amazing job of writing this book and keeping it
an iconic one even to this day. Not to mention, this book is great if
you want a nice-sized and action-packed book to read!

The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck

I read The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck. This classic story by Beatrix Potter tells the story of the lovely Jemima, a very trusty duck who is determined to hatch her own eggs, so she decides to leave the farm to look for somewhere to do so. She naively trusts a fox (though she didn’t know what a fox was, having been sheltered on farm) and ends up having to be rescued from a “dinner party” by the farm collie and some fox-hound puppies. Despite her original eggs being collateral damage of her story, she laid some more eggs at the farm and managed to hatch 4 lovely ducklings.

Jemima Puddle-Duck demonstrates a cautionary tale of not questioning a situation- especially when you’re in unfamiliar territory. As well as showing the value of knowing someone.

All in all, I would recommend this short story as it’s a beautiful, sweet book for all ages and reading abilities.

War Horse

War horse by Michael Morpurgo : this book is one of the very best from my personal book shelf. It is about a horse named Joey and his owner Albert who lives in Devon and when news comes that war has arrived Alberts farther (Ted) is forced to sell Joey to pay the mortgage . When Albert hears of this news he is determined to find Joey again but with war on the horizon Joey is sent off to the front line in France and goes through the treacherous journey of war and wonders if he and Albert will ever be reunited again....

This books genre is war novel and was published in 1982. It is 182 pages long and it's age rating is 10+. I think this book is amazing it is shocking sad but all round fun to read everything a book should be. Once you have picked up this book you won't be able to put it back down . This book also gives you a sense of what war was really like and how much people really did suffer for our life to be like it is now . I hope you enjoy this book as much as i did . 

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was written by Lewis Carroll and the first ever edition was released on the 26th of November 1865. The main story line is based on Alice’s experience of her journey through wonderland and all the characters she meets along the way. Throughout the time I was reading this book, I noticed that Carroll wrote it in a style with made you feel like you were actually with Alice in wonderland. Also, the fact that every new character was described with lots of detail about their looks and personality really helped with understanding what was going on. However, because the novel is recommended for a younger age group, it doesn’t use as complex descriptive language.

I would really recommend this book to other people because I found that it didn’t take a long time to read and that it also appeals to a range of age groups. Out of a wide range of books, I chose this one because over time it has always been popular whether it’s a book or film and it has never gone out of fashion. Another reason I enjoyed reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was because it took me back to when I was really little, reading the book with my Mum.

Molly Southgate

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland was written by Lewis Carroll in 1865. It’s about a girl called Alice who finds herself falling down a rabbit hole into a magical and mysterious world. She meets some interesting characters on her journey.

However the story portrays two completely different meanings. The main characters of this story are Alice, the Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat and the White Rabbit. The characters in the story aren’t credible because they all have unique, crazy and unrealistic qualities such as; the Cheshire Cat can talk. My favourite character was the mad hatter because of his distinct personality. He lives up to his name of the ‘mad’ hatter and gives the story its unrivalled twists and turns.

I liked reading Alice in Wonderland because It portrayed an underlying story of the effects of drugs. When Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland he was believed to be heavily influenced by drugs which could have spurred him on to write such a crazy but incredible book. My favourite part of the book is the very beginning because it dives straight into the action of Alice falling down the rabbit hole. Carroll describes her falling down the hole extremely vividly which makes you imagine what she’s experiencing. My least favourite part of the book was when Alice was meeting the different animals while trying to get through the tiny door. This was my least favourite because I found it confusing as a reader as the language used is extremely old fashioned. If I could change anything about the book I would change would be the language as it was hard
to read in some parts.

I would definitely recommend this book because I really enjoyed it and the storyline is brilliant. I would recommend young kids to read this book because its very imaginative and I feel as though they would enjoy this because of all the fantastical characters.

by Charley Boxall

Alice In Wonderland

Alice's adventures in wonderland was first released in 1865 and was written by Lewis Carroll. At a first glance, it is a seemingly childish story, but in fact it is an interesting tale following the journey of a curious little girl called Alice. It begins with her in her garden when she spots a mysterious animal in clothes and decides to follow it, only ending up falling down a rabbit hole. While down there many strange things happen to her, she meets weird and wonderful characters and she loses the sense of reality.

When reading it, I didn't feel like I was onlooking her tale but infact there with her. This was because of Carroll's descriptive style of writing, transporting you into the story. Throughout the journey Alice it taken to many strange places, such as court, where she is meets new things she doesn't understand. This story shows Alice getting in some trouble because of her burnings curiosities, changing size, playing croquet with animals and having never ending tea parties. Although these experiences are hardly easy to relate to, that is what gives the story it's "can't put down" factor.

At the beginning of the book Alice likes to say what's on her mind all the time and in some ways that doesn't change. But as he story progresses, her ability to bite her tongue around certain people (those who like to say "cut of her head") grows too. This is not only a story of her adventure in a new and exciting place but the story of a little girl, from a wealthy family, growing up and being more considerate to others, a quality she lacked at the beginning. This helps for you to empathise with Alice throughout the tale because you can see her turn from a mouthy little girl to a more caring little girl who puts others first.

I was first intrigued by this tale because of the fact it is a classic story, one we all have probably experienced, whether in a book or film form and it did not fail to meet my expectations. I would definitely recommend this book to a range of audiences because of the fact it was easy to read but still had a compelling story line and characters which is why I really enjoyed it. The book easily plays out in your head, probably because of the fact it is a known tale to most of us and is quite easy to follow the adventures of little Alice.

 Eleanor Bennett

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a tale of a girl who cannot control her curiosity. Alice was born into a wealthy English family more suited to croquet on the lawn than croquet with flamingoes. Alice is sat reading when she sees a rather unfamiliar sight, a clothed rabbit claiming to be 'late for a very important date'. Within her nature, she follows the creature and takes a tumble down the rabbits hole where she falls into a room with many doors and a single glass table. The rest of the story tells of Alice's experience with potions, playing cards painting roses and a rather evil monarch.

Upon reading, I was transported into Wonderland along with Alice and for any reader, I would say this magical experience is not to be missed. Although with it's Disney connection it is thought to be a story specifically for children I would recommend this book to a much broader audience. Alice's approach to the situation although niäve, is refreshing and shows a quality that is sparse within today's generations.  I believe that ages right through to late life could be enlightened by the youthful curiosity entwined within the tale.

Being the Disney obsessive that I am, I would probably favour an adapted version of the story although I think to anybody new to the plot would find much joy in Carroll's Classic version. Moreover, I somehow wanted this book to give me the same feeling as I get from watching the Disney film but it didn't happen. For this reason I would only be able to give the book a 4/5 because from past experience I feel Walt gave Alice more life and quality within personality.

Amy Yeomans

Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, written by Lewis Carroll is one of the most famous and charming children's classics. Almost anyone could recall the Mad hatter, Queen of Hearts, even The white rabbit.

Would you be surprised at the sight of a white rabbit, dressed in a waistcoat, a stopwatch in his pocket? Saying he is going to be late over and over and over again?
Well it was this event that left a young girl Alice, falling down a hole, through the depths of the earth to finally find herself amongst a room full of doors. Alice is a young girl from a wealthy English family however it is mysterious and weird events like these that turns a relaxing afternoon by the river into an adventure in a strange world ruled by imagination and fantasy.

At the end of the corridor, a tiny door is present where Alice can see a beautiful garden she is desperate to enter. A bottle then appears labelled "DRINK ME", the curiosity is too much and she does. She begins to shrink, so she is now small enough to fit through the door. At last! but wait, the key to fit the lock is on the table which is now way out of her reach. Now appears a cake labelled "EAT ME" which again she does. She now begins to grow back to her normal size. Annoyed and
frustrated by these series of events, Alice begins to sob until she shrinks and is washed away by her own tears.

The experience gets progressively bizarre to the point where she is left, baby-sitting a pig, playing a game of croquet where flamingos are used as mallets and hedgehogs as balls, and taking part in a tea party held hostage by time(it never ends). These strange events however do lead Alice to meet some very intriguing characters on the way - The Mad Hatter - gentle at times yet wacky and insane. His perplexity emphasised by his odd appearance. The Cheshire Cat - Different to the other characters as he is not in threat. He is loved and enjoys to give Alice good advice to avoid her upset. He is known for his playful yet mysterious personality. Among the characters she also meets the Queen of Hearts with a goal to keep Wonderland under her control. She is both powerful and cruel, known for her executions.  

Although some people believe the book is too violent, the novel is magical and witty, providing a true illustration on the life of childhood.